Identity Theft Worries in Glendale: Men Rummaging Through Recycling Bins, Debit Card Codes Lifted 3

Glendale alert: Monday morning after a man (older, white hair, medium to heavy build) was spotted sorting through a recycling bin along Grandview Avenue, he got into a beat-up wagon/utility vehicle with car lights off and sped away. The couple who spotted him tried to follow and saw recycling bins left open along the street with papers strewn around. Before sunrise, they heard another car drive up (older model White Toyota Camry) and saw another man opening a recycling bin; he, too, left quickly with his car lights off.

Identity theft is a very likely motive, and city council member Laura Friedman responded to a neighborhood email alert on these sitings:

The advice I’ve gotten from the police is: use a locked mail box so that no one can steal your mail. Shred anything containing important personal or financial data. Very importantly: avoid using debit cards. Thieves now use “scanners” that fit over ATM slots which can read your information – they no longer need your card. The scanners record your passwords and they simply make a new card that’s ready to go. With that card they can empty your bank account in minutes, and unlike credit cards, debit cards carry no protection for users. So, once that money is gone, you won’t be able to get it back.

If anyone is interested, I can arrange a meeting with our police area representative who can talk to us about the issue and how we can set up neighborhood watch, or otherwise protect ourselves.